


The Prince Lives

by DVwrites, rainbowwrites



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Eventual polyamory between The Boys, Loosely based off the Anatasia musical, Multi, Noctis having amnesia, Polyship Roadtrip, because we're weak for the OT4
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:15:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25783489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DVwrites/pseuds/DVwrites, https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowwrites/pseuds/rainbowwrites
Summary: A self-indulgent AU based on a mixture of original canon and the broadway musical, Anastasia!---"Think about it, shortcake. We try to take what we think is Prince Noctis back to Lucis, we're basically declaring ourselves public enemy number one, no going back."Not that either of them owed the Empire any real loyalty, but they did have a degree of freedom and security here. It was the devil they knew, and Aranea couldn't guarantee Lucis would give them refuge. Hell, she couldn't guarantee they wouldn't kill on sight.But Prompto was right on one thing - turning Nisus in wasn't an option. Aranea had been given a gruesome insight into what Dr. Besithia got up to in those labs, and she knew how easy it would be for him to pry the so-thought Prince of Lucis away for what would become a slow, clinical death.Really, they didn't have a choice. She just needed Prompto to know they were giving up everything for a hunch they happened to share.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret/Nyx Ulric, Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum, Ravus Nox Fleuret/Aranea Highwind
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	1. In My Dreams

Flowers. 

That’s what brushed against Nisus’ hand as he walked, fingers outstretched against them. 

It’s what spanned out in front of him for what seemed like a never-ending blanket of blue, like an untouched ocean of petals. As he walked, they shifted around his presence, as if he were a ghost in this world. 

When Nisus tried to put a name to them, it rested on his tongue but remained unspoken - he could never place them. 

As he walked, beneath a sky that never changed, the scenery around him shifted in small flickering motions, like static on a radio, or the image on a broken tv. In his peripheral vision, he thought he saw the ghosts of people, but when his head turned sharply to see, they dispersed just as quickly. 

The echo of giggles surrounded him, and in front, he saw the image of a small girl, her blonde hair waving in a breeze he couldn’t feel. Her lips moved, calling his name, but the way her mouth phrased it didn’t seem quite right.

The giggles turned into a scream, and as soon as his hand outstretched to her, he felt all the air rush out of his lungs and the floor sank beneath his feet. 

\---

He awoke with the kind of jolt you only felt when you plummeted downwards, practically shooting up into an upright position. 

His hand pressed to his chest, resting over where his heart beat hard against his ribs. 

It wasn’t always a field of flowers with a girl. Sometimes, he saw a city as beautiful as it was untouchable, far away and ringing with the echoes of voices he couldn’t remember but knew he had known once. 

“Gods,” He huffed, letting his eyes remain squeezed shut as he caught his breath. Letting out a small ‘ugh’ as he swung his legs out of his bed, prying himself from the warmth of his blankets, he stretched his back out. 

It twung with a small degree of pain, as per his usual morning routine, and he blinked the sleep out of his vision as he stepped out of the small box-like room to his bathroom. 

When he caught sight of himself in the cracked mirror over the sink, there was familiarity in the tiredness apparent in his blue eyes and tenseness in the way he held his shoulders. He lifted a hand to try to smooth down some of the parts of his hair that stuck up from tossing and turning in the night, sighing momentarily when it remained the same, before reaching for his toothbrush. 

When he’d finally gotten himself at least moderately presentable, he pushed out through his front door, pulling a small hat over his head as he did. 

Another long day ahead, in a series of never ending long days. 

\---

Walking through the shadows cast by the overhead morning sun, he passed through the streets as quietly as he could, pushing through and against a crowd that never seemed to thin. 

The aim for the day? Find some food, use the last of his money in doing so, and then find more. 

It was a simple plan, but Nisus had found that keeping them simple had kept him as alive as a person with amnesia and a penchant for going from job to job weekly could in Niflheim. 

It all went out of the window when he caught sight of blonde hair, a few feet ahead of him, sunlight catching off it in one clear glimmer. 

It was like the gleam had caught his eye too hard - all he saw was white for a second, and the moving lips of a young girl. 

“Lu-!” He began, and before he could catch himself, he’d grabbed the back of this poor person’s shirt.

The memory had gone, but had left him standing here in the middle of a street, with his fingers clutched around some guy’s shirt and his eyes wide. 

Before Prompto had turned, he hadn't really had a plan for the day - the Emperor was getting more and more unhinged with every passing day and Prompto had gladly left dealing with him to Aranea. 

So he had decided to take a rare opportunity to wander around the city, mostly to get an idea of how things were (or rather, how bad they were getting) and reporting it back to Aranea, who was about the only person in power who seemed to actually give a shit about the people under Imperial control. 

And things were getting bad. 

What had once been a bustling and growing city boosted by Niflheim's technology was now a desolate hellscape, with anything the Emperor didn't deem useful to his war being left to fall into disrepair. 

Sure, he and Aranea did their best, but they were only two people and the Empire was too big for them to fix alone. The Emperor didn't really stop them, but he made no attempt to help either. All his resources went to Dr. Besithia and his beloved magitek. 

Just thinking about them made Prompto shudder.

But, again, he was pulled from his thoughts when he felt someone grab his shirt. 

He thought maybe it was another one of the kids on the street looking for food or money; a few of them had come to recognise Prompto, but when he turned, he turned to find a man there, looking as tired as anyone else trying to live in the city. 

Prompto really did have it lucky. As Aranea's right-hand man, he could at least be comfortable. 

He was, however, startled by the man's features for a moment. 

Dark hair was uncommon amongst the Empire, and black was almost unseen, and when he looked up the man had striking blue eyes, and for just a second, Prompto was reminded of the stories of...of... 

_ No way. _

Prompto had heard about the Lucian royal line and their power. The Empire had swooped in with a particularly fatal sneak attack and killed them all. 

Except there were whispers on the streets that Prince Noctis had survived. Only rumours, he had thought before. No one else really knew, because no one else bothered to listen to the people.

And maybe Prompto was jumping to radical conclusions, but he remembered being told about the Lucian kings, with their midnight hair and eyes like clear waters. He stood out against everyone else so much Prompto wondered how no one else had noticed before. 

He...he had to get this back to Aranea. She'd know, right? She was older and wiser and privy to a lot more information. Surely she'd know if Prompto was right on this. And gods, his gut was screaming that he was right. 

Nisus pulled back quickly, brow knitted together, prepared to be hauled off, or to at least be schooled in one embarrassing moment on social faux pas. 

“Sorry, I’m-...I thought you were someone else,” 

"Uh, no worries! But, like...could you come with me for a sec? You're not in trouble, I swear," Prompto held his hands up, trying to offer an easy smile. "I just need to, like, check something? I'll get you lunch for your time."

_ Yep _ , Nisus concluded, wanting to trust the blonde’s seemingly genuine smile more than ever, but knowing otherwise in this godforsaken place.  _ I’m about to die.  _   
  
He swallowed thickly, but nodded regardless, and when the guy gestured for him to follow, he did so with little resistance. As he moved forward, his stomach growled.    
  
Either way, it looked like he had little choice on the matter. 

  
  
\---

Fuck, Aranea hated this shit.    
  
The Emperor was more or less batshit at this point, his little scientist buddy had been totally deranged from the start and Aranea really, truly could not stand the Chancellor. 

She should have ditched the Empire when she had the chance. 

But it was done, for today at least, and her only order was to wait for orders, so at least she could have a moment to breathe. At least they never made her deal with those creepy magitek soldiers. Aranea controlled what was left of Niflheim's human army and she was fine with that.

She couldn't look at the magitek without seeing Prompto's face, and that still left a bad taste in her mouth. 

All that went right out the window when Prompto appeared a few hours later, looking somewhere between alarmed and sheepish. 

"What the fuck have you done?" 

"What makes you think I did anything?!" 

"You look guilty. Fess up, shortcake - what are we cleaning up today?" 

"Well, I...uh...come meet someone!" Prompto practically bounced on his heels, anxiously. 

Aranea heaved a sigh before dragging herself to meet Prompto's new friend. She walked through the hallway, into the dim lighting from a nearby window where it illuminated a man in a hat. 

She cocked an eyebrow.

"Great, hi, glad this was the important thing you wanted to show me," 

"No, Aranea, just...look at him. Really look," 

So she did. She scrutinised this guy, working out what exactly Prompto was trying to show her.

At first it didn't click, and then it did, all at once. 

The black hair, the blue eyes, the stubborn scowl that could only come from being born of royalty. 

For. Fuck's. Sake. 

"Prompto, what did you _ do _ ."

Nisus, on the other hand, had somehow agreed to come here, having being led by the growl of his empty stomach, the tense fear of what would happen if he somehow caused a scene and didn't agree, and perhaps for the sake of his own curiousity, only to come face to face with one of the last of the people he'd want to see in this place. 

His guard immediately came up, lifting a hand to pull the tip of his hat down lower. 

"I don't know who you guys think I am, but I'm not sticking around for long," He threw a look to his blonde companion, frown deepening and voice lowering. "You didn't say you were going to bring me to  _ Aranea Highwind _ ," 

Nisus looked back to her at that moment, folding his arms protectively across his chest. He took a step back. 

"What do you want?" He spoke afterwards, uneasy.

Prompto whipped around, before looking back - sometimes he forgot who Aranea really was, or the reputation she had. He waved his hands almost comically, trying to reassure this newcomer. 

“Oh no! No this isn’t like, a bad thing, she just kind of...took me in! She won’t hurt you!” He tried to comfort, offering one of those smiles that got him out of magitek duty. This guy really had the wrong idea about Aranea. She really only attacked when provoked. “And it’s fine, Your—I mean, what’s your name? Like, your  _ real  _ name,” 

Nisus pressed his lips into a frown. “I-,”

“It’s fine, we know.” Prompto nudged the stranger playfully. He even followed with a wink.

“Yeah, cut the crap,” Aranea stood with her hip cocked to one side, a hand resting on it. If this was who she thought he was, they were in a world of trouble. 

They could turn him in, raise their standing with the Emperor, get some status and comfort, but Aranea’s trust in the Empire was fading with every day, and Prompto would absolutely want to do the right thing. Which would mean going to Lucis, undetected, and give up everything they had built here. 

“Let’s be real, Prince Noctis. You be real with us, we’ll be real with you.”

"' _ Prince Noctis _ '?" Nisus echoed, with no small degree of confusion, before it clicked in one brash moment and he let out a bark of a laugh. "You think I'm royalty? Wow," 

Finally, he shook his head. It wasn't often he encountered this kind of mental mistake, and if he continued to let them think it, it could cost him terribly, when he'd already survived this far.

Maybe this was a set up, all along. 

"Now I know you've got the wrong guy," He kept his arms protectively crossed over his chest, standing stock still but prepared for flight, should it become necessary. "Prince Noctis died years ago, everyone knows the last of the bloodline still alive is King Regis. I didn't think empire higher ups were concerned with rumours," 

He shot that last part at Aranea, meeting her steadfast gaze with an unyielding one of his own, before turning his attention back to the blonde. His expression softened, just a little, against his will, almost. 

"I'm called Nisus. That's the name I've had for as long as I can remember, and I..." He hesitated, the pause palpable for a second, before continuing. "I don't remember that much. I woke up in a hospital one day, and that's the name they gave me, when I was a kid. It's the name I've had all these years,” 

"Wait, you don't remember anything before that? How long ago was that?" Prompto asked, looking both confused and sympathetic for the guy. 

For all Prompto had things he wished he could forget, he couldn't imagine having a whole chunk of his life he just didn't know. 

Maybe then he'd know to maybe not wind up Aranea. Her words could be just as sharp as her blades. 

"But...but...you've got to always have stood out, right? Like, dark hair is a super Lucian thing, and Prince Noctis was just a kid, maybe...I mean, maybe someone did help him--I mean  _ you _ \--escape. It'd make sense, right?" It was hard for Prompto to explain that he just had this intense gut feeling that told him this was definitely the Lucian prince, because this was probably a lot to throw at this guy who just woke up expecting this to be a normal day.

Nisus began to shake his head, but Prompto interrupted once more. 

"Look, it's kind of...like I just knew, you know? And then ‘Nea knew too, and she definitely knows more about that than I do, so...yeah. That's why I asked you to come with me. Couldn't just say that out on the street," Prompto laughed slightly sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. 

"Rumours come from somewhere, big man. You think they'll take any risk that the prince didn't die?" Aranea pressed on, addressing Nisus’ stare with one of her own. 

Sure, usually the big guys didn't handle rumours, but Aranea always kept her ear to the ground and it served her well. She always knew what needed to be nipped in the bud and what could be let go. 

"And its pretty fucking convenient that you remember nothing about where you came from. Maybe you're right, but here's the thing, little prince," Aranea sauntered over, hands both firmly on her hips, until she was uncomfortably close in "Nisus"' space. Even if he was royalty, it was time she made it clear now who was calling the shots. Aranea hadn't gotten her reputation by letting little comments go. "I can't tell you the last time I was wrong."

Nisus tensed, looking into Aranea's eyes in one firm stare, though eventually, he faltered. 

He definitely wasn't eager to die right now, which led him to his next question: 

"What're you going to do to me, under some assumption that I'm someone I'm not? Take me to the Empire?" He took a step back from Aranea, dropping his arms down to his side loosely in surrender. "If they do believe you, what then, huh? They'd kill me, right? Over someone I don't remember being?" 

He threw an almost pleading look in Prompto's direction - he seemed at least a little sympathetic, he seemed kinder. If anyone was going to let him plead his case to live, it was him. 

"My hair isn't the strangest thing in Niflheim, and I'm telling the truth," He raised his hands up defensively. "I swear,"

Prompto really felt for the guy - he definitely had no idea who he was, and now here they were, with one of the most notorious people in the Emperor's inner circle, declaring him a national enemy. 

It must be terrifying, and Prompto had an idea of what that terror felt like. 

It must have felt like standing in a row of identical faces, praying Aranea could see the desperation in his eyes as she was told to pick one to be her second-in-command. 

Sure, she had Biggs and Wedge, but Aranea preferred them to be out with the actual soldiers, so they could feel like they had a connection to the higher ups. 

She did care, really. 

"No, look - we'll get this sorted now, no one's going to the Emperor, or the Chancellor, okay? I mean, if you are who you think we are then-..." He turned to look to Aranea, once again pleading with her. "We've gotta get him back, right? We gotta get him back to Lucis before someone else finds out," 

It was the only thing they could do - if someone like the Chancellor did find out, it was game over for Nisus and, now, Prompto and Aranea for not handing him over.

This was giving Aranea a headache, and she rubbed her temples partly to avoid looking at Prompto's puppy eyes. 

He was right - Aranea didn't really like the Emperor and she especially disliked the Chancellor. She wasn't exactly in a rush to go kiss their asses and give them this guy, Prince Noctis or not. 

But if they did somehow get him back, and he wasn't the prince, it'd be a political nightmare. It would be seen as the Empire making a mockery of the prince's death and right now Lucis was just defending itself - things would get a hell of a lot bloodier if they made an active attack. 

They needed someone in the Lucian royal circle. Someone who was close with the prince, who would know him on sight. If Aranea would be able to pick Prompto out of a line-up of MTs, surely someone alive in Lucis would know the prince when they saw him.

Except this guy didn't know shit, so it wasn't like he could tell her who to look for. 

"Think about it, shortcake. We try to take what we  _ think _ is Prince Noctis back to Lucis, we're basically declaring ourselves public enemy number one, no going back." 

Not that either of them owed the Empire any real loyalty, but they did have a degree of freedom and security here. It was the devil they knew, and Aranea couldn't guarantee Lucis would give them refuge. Hell, she couldn't guarantee they wouldn't kill on sight. 

But Prompto was right on one thing - turning Nisus in wasn't an option. Aranea had been given a gruesome insight into what Dr. Besithia got up to in those labs, and she knew how easy it would be for him to pry the so-thought Prince of Lucis away for what would become a slow, clinical death. 

Really, they didn't have a choice. She just needed Prompto to know they were giving up everything for a hunch they happened to share.

"You think there's a way out of Niflheim?" Nisus, however, piped up, pulling her from her musings. 

His eyes had brightened for just a moment, taking a step forward carefully. 

"Out of the Empire?" He looked between Prompto and Aranea with what appeared to be a conflict between disbelief and, well, hope, before his expression fell with his gaze, glancing down to his open palm as he held it up. 

In his mind's eye, he saw the petals of a blue flower sitting there, and when his eyes lifted up to the faraway window, he thought he could see a city in its glass.

He shook his head, resolute in that moment, driven by his temporary thoughts. 

"Would you take me?" He pressed his lips into a thin frown. "I can't give you money, or...or any information, but I'll do anything to get out of here," Nisus straightened his back, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. His gaze shifted to meet Prompto's purple and somewhat otherworldly eyes, and once again found himself quietly pleading with him. "If you're not going to hand me in, take me with you,"

Prompto wasn't sure what to tell Nisus - he'd never even left Gralea, never mind Niflheim itself. 

The long hand of the Empire stretched out almost across the world; Lucis was the one haven remaining. Prompto was sure people had done it, but they were probably just civilians getting across the border, not someone recognisable if you saw him just right. 

"I mean…’Nea's right, it isn't easy. The Chancellor seems to just always know everything, I've never even left the city! I just know...I  _ know  _ you're Prince Noctis, even if you don't remember that. And I know we've gotta get you home." Prompto was looking at Nisus (Noctis? What did he even call this guy?) with such determination, like he was making a promise that he maybe wouldn't be able to keep, but he was damn sure ready to try.

It was a suicide mission, but Prompto couldn't just let this go. It was too important. 

"And anyway! There's some hope!" Prompto perked up, looking over to Aranea excitedly. "’Nea, aren't you like...y'know, a thing with Ravus? Maybe he'll help us!"

"Okay, first things first, don't ever call me fucking Ravus 'a thing' ever again," She pointed to Prompto, and anyone else may have been afraid of that, but the blonde didn't even flinch. He just raised his hands in fake surrender, because he was a little shit and far too comfortable around her. "And second, Ravus Nox Fleuret is probably the least helpful person we could think of here. The Emperor just wanted the royals of Lucis out of the way, but Ravus has a personal vendetta. His sister could help, sure, but we can't get to her without going through Ravus," 

She sighed, trying to plan this out. Aranea was good at thinking on her feet, and better at knowing what to do in any situation. It made her formidable and powerful, but this just wasn't what she expected when she woke up this morning. 

Maybe Prompto was on to something. Maybe Ravus was a lost cause, but Aranea had half-listened to him enough to know he'd do anything for Lunafreya, and she in turn was very endeared to Prince Noctis. 

If they could get to Tenebrae, maybe Lunafreya would be able to help. Or maybe shed some light on this - she could do some oracle crap after all. 

Aranea hadn't even realised she'd been pacing while she thought until she turned to the others. 

"But you were close to something, shortcake. We don't make a direct beeline to Lucis; it's too obvious. But going to Tenebrae? I go there a lot, no one's gonna think twice about it. When we're there, we're gonna need to get to Lady Lunafreya. 

She paused, surveying the two of them. 

“Unless one of you two geniuses has something better, that's the plan."

Nisus had remained quiet the entire time, having caught himself looking maybe a little too long at the desperation in Prompto's eyes, the sincerity he hadn't seen here in the Empire before. He hardly knew what it looked like. But here it was. 

And here  _ he _ was. 

He could hardly grasp the fact that he was going to do this. 

Ever a survivalist, he knew an ‘out’ when it presented itself, and he gathered up all of his mental strength to look to Aranea with something akin to gratitude in his rigid gaze. 

"I can't promise you that I'm who you think I am," He pulled his hat back onto his head, where he'd previously pulled it off to fidget it between his hands. "But thanks.” 

After a moment of quiet, he turned his attention back to the blonde that had brought him here. 

“I can hold up my own in a fight, so don't worry about me lagging behind," Nisus nodded his head at Prompto, a small smile twitching at the corners of his lips. "This is the first time anyone's ever offered to help me,"

Prompto gave Nisus what he hoped was an encouraging smile, knowing that even if they were way off, he could help this guy get somewhere else. 

The Empire wasn't known for the care it gave its citizens; it had to be even harder for someone with amnesia. Even if Nisus  _ was  _ just a regular person, he probably stood to have a better life in Lucis than he had now. 

"Well, that's good, right? See? ‘Nea's got a plan, you know how to fight, things are already looking pretty good!" He was almost excited, even though this would mean leaving his life behind just for the sake of a feeling. 

It was the biggest risk Prompto would ever take, but he had heard about the Lucian capital. 

Insomnia, the city that bustled with life at all hours, full of cheer and colour and life. The people actually wanted to be there, and none of them feared the king. It sounded worlds away from the grey and desolate streets Prompto had come to know. 

And Aranea had told him about Tenebrae, even if he'd never been himself. Full of greenery and nature - she said that even the air felt different. Maybe this was his chance to finally shake free the final grip the Empire still had over him. 

Maybe, in a way, this wasn't all for Prince Noctis. A part of this was for Prompto too. 

"I think we can do this! And maybe once you get back to Lucis, you'll start remembering stuff again!"

This, however, was gonna be the stupidest thing Aranea had ever done. 

She had settled into something here, even if she had, again, no loyalty to the Empire. Maybe before she would have been able to set herself up again in Lucis, but she'd built a name for herself now and unfortunately that name was associated with Niflheim, regardless of what she actually thought. 

If this didn't work, she was fucked. 

Prompto could maybe get away with it; he'd never be able to go back to the Empire, but he could maybe go underground, get himself some kind of job and settle down, if the Empire didn't get to him first. 

But what else could they do? This was absolutely Prince Noctis - even Aranea couldn't walk away from that, and she caught herself thinking: _ If any rumour had to be true, why this one?  _

She was just unprepared, and it wasn't a situation she was used to being in. Even if she had a plan, it was a flimsy one at best. 

"Well we may hold you to that. For now, you're gonna need to change. Lucky for you," Aranea started wandering from place to place, trying to piece together something that resembled a uniform. She didn't really have much reason to keep infantry clothes around, but she may just have enough to be convincing. "I don't do that magitek bullshit. We can pull you off as a regular foot soldier." 

Once satisfied with what she had, she threw a bundle of clothes at Nisus, already walking out of the room as she spoke. 

"Get dressed; Prompto, you're with me. Get what we'll need and what you'll be able to carry - we may need to travel light. I'll get a ship prepared."

Nisus held the uniform in his hands and swallowed what felt like a lump in his throat. As Prompto passed, he caught his gaze once more, and then saw his reflection in the window. 

A long time had passed since he’d seem some semblance of hope in the pools of his eyes, in the lines around them, but there it was. In the weirdest circumstances, certainly, it had re-appeared, and a small part of him wanted to hold it and nurture it. 

Only a small part. 

This was going to be a longer day than he’d thought. 

  
  
  



	2. Still

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having wandered momentarily from his new companions, a chance encounter with a new and somewhat alarming stranger leaves Nisus reeling.

On the way there, Nisus had found a million things to complain about. 

The journey wasn't as short as he'd liked it. He was still protesting the idea that he was some long dead prince, and the uniform Aranea had given him hadn't quite fit right; being a little too baggy in some places, and tight and uncomfortable in others, it fit him, but just about. 

Granted, it worked well - they'd managed to get here with little to no hassle. 

'Here' was a Niflheim airbase, red and white lining the areas that weren't just a skeleton of metal. Overhead, there was an almost constant thrum of noise and the ever so slight shifting and rumbling under his boots did nothing to settle him. 

If it weren't so ominous in all its grandeur, the likes of which he'd never really encountered before, he'd almost consider it somewhat spectacular. 

That said, the journey there wasn't all unpleasant. 

He'd gotten to talking a little more with Prompto on the way. He was eager to talk and Nisus was just as eager to listen. He talked about Aranea, to her disdain, and his life in the empire, and he mentioned little facts here and there about the Lucian royals, as if it might jog something long dormant in Nisus' cracked mind. 

It didn't. 

He wasn't quite sure still how he felt about that - the strange notion that he was this lost royal and that somehow, in some feat too good to be true, Prompto and Aranea had recognised him. 

It'd happened so fast that he hadn't really processed it. 

Even now, as they sat in the airbase, Nisus hadn't really explored it, choosing not to indulge a fantasy that couldn't be true. The idea that some semblance of family awaited him out there had long since haunted him until he’d closed the door shut on it - it wasn't worth thinking about, lest it give him some sort of headache. 

So when Prompto excused himself to 'check in on the tech and see what Aranea was doing', with an extra instruction for Nisus to 'stay put and he'll be right back', Nisus immediately stood, choosing instead to wander for a little. It was going to be his last time in a place like this, and he wanted to take some mental snapshots. 

It was then that, maybe in his haste, he bumped sideways into someone, steadying his balance as he was knocked back a step.

"Hey-!" He began, gathering himself enough to bring his attention to the stranger he'd nearly thrown himself into. It seemed like he was making a habit of this. "Sorry-! I was walking too fast, I didn't see where I was going,"

The stranger turned slowly on his heel, taking a long, steady look down upon the foot soldier.

"My, my, I didn't realise the Commodore took such a relaxed approach to her training," He let a slow smile grow across his face, and Nisus’ stomach twisted. 

Ardyn had no reason to concern himself with the infantry that the Emperor allowed to still run about. Immortality had taught him that his energy was best served for his own gains. He had intended no more than to intimidate the young soldier enough that he may remind his comrades to be more mindful of who was around them, but that changed when he got a proper look at who stood there.

Well, maybe Ardyn could make time for foot soldiers after all, if this was who Aranea intended to keep in her ranks. It appeared someone was up to no good.

Of course he had known the young prince had survived - Ardyn wouldn't have accepted anything short of seeing the body itself. 

But the boy knew nothing, not even his own name, and so was worthless. 

But, now that others had cottoned on, it appeared that Aranea was making the rather foolish move to try and reunite Prince Noctis with his homeland - she could have made a very comfortable life for herself and her little MT pet if she had just handed him over.

And she clearly knew what she was doing, because she had done an almost impressive job of hiding the boy. If she had been a little smarter about it, she may even have slipped out of Niflheim unnoticed. 

A shame, really, but Ardyn did enjoy a good chase.

"Tell me, young man. What could our Miss Highwind be up to that she's bringing a small entourage with her? If I recall, she usually takes her trips to Tenebrae alone.” He pressed, voice low in his throat as he looked the would-be prince up and down once more. 

"Up to?" Nisus echoed, fighting back his urge to shrink back in the presence of the taller man. It was almost as if he cast a shadow around him, sucking in light like a black hole. 

He immediately took a visible dislike to the way the stranger peered through him with eyes ringed with the kind of amber you'd find in a slowly going out fire. Temporarily unassuming, but still dangerous if you went near it. 

Instead of backing down, however, he stood still, a kind of ingrained and unintentional stubbornness in the way he held his shoulders up. His eyes narrowed up at him. 

"It's an important...mission, sir." He lied, trying to think on his feet. He knew, under no circumstances, could he trust anyone else with what Aranea and Prompto were trying to do. Not whilst they were still in the Empire. "Classified information, I was told."

Ardyn smiled. 

The young prince was a terrible liar and had absolutely no poker face to speak of. Still, he was attempting to stand his ground, which was just darling. 

Ardyn could kill him now if he wanted, but there was no fun in that. 

No, he'd let Aranea think she outsmarted him, and let the prince think he might stand a chance to get home. Killing him when he didn't remember anything meant nothing. 

Ardyn was a patient man; he could wait however long he needed to.

"Important, is that what she told you? How odd, I don't remember her being told to go to Tenebrae for anything important. It must be something very sensitive, if only the Commodore knows,"

He raised an eyebrow, staring Noctis down like he could make the young prince simply fizzle out if he stared hard enough. Yes, this was definitely going to be worth the wait. 

To bring King Regis hope of his son's survival only to rip it from him once more? That would be the sweetest victory. 

"Perhaps, if this is something so important, there should be more of you going, hm? We couldn't risk losing such an important asset now, could we?"

Nisus could recognise a trap when he saw one - living in the empire for this long hadn't taught him nothing, and everything about this man set the hairs on his arms up and he could barely hide the rigidness of his back. 

His arms hung at his sides, but they were anything but loose in their lack of movement. His fists clenched, once again resisting the urge to step back away from his threatening presence. 

He didn't, but his expression faltered for a just a second under the weight of the other's gaze. 

"With all due respect, sir, I think Aranea Highwind can handle herself. We're just extra support." 

Watching Prince Noctis reminded Ardyn of a cornered cat; he could practically see the raised hackles. 

With no memory of who he was, the prince was hardly a fair fight, and Ardyn wasn't interested in simply winning outright.

He wanted Noctis to work for it. He wanted the Lucians to think there could be a chance that they could triumph. He had waited long enough for that day; Ardyn could manage a little longer, now it finally appeared so close at hand.

"Is that so? What a conflicting report you've been given, I wonder what you will do with yourselves in Tenebrae, if the Commodore is so able to manage this on her own,"

He wandered slowly around the prince, almost like he was inspecting the boy.

"We already have Tenebrae, and I know the Fleurets wouldn't dare risk their homeland over something as trivial as a war. It certainly is a strange path you appear to be taking, but I do assume there is a method in Miss Highwind's madness."

Something about that last part - the mention of the Fleurets, certainly - set off an uncomfortable sensation in Nisus’ gut and a pang in his chest. Whatever it was, it didn't settle in the slightest as the other circled him, as he had seen a bird once do to a weakened mouse. 

It didn't end well. 

When the red-head had moved back to Nisus' front, he felt his fingers tighten against his palm as he stepped forward, into his space. It was like the sliding of a chess piece across a board. 

"No one said anything about a war, sir." He said, far more confidently than he felt. His blue eyes narrowed, looking up into this stranger's face with scrutiny, and a scowl to match. "Who _ are  _ you?"

Ardyn raised an eyebrow, almost impressed with the sudden burst of confidence the prince seemed to have. So typical of Lucian royalty, to think themselves capable of anything. 

It must have been innate to them. 

"No, no one has to. Some know better," Ardyn mused, smiling almost maliciously at him. His time would come, and there was something sweet in watching the young man before him, who had no idea how short his life was due to be cut.

He should have stayed in Gralea, where Ardyn may have been tempted to continue his show of mercy.

Prompto, meanwhile, had realised that Nisus was  _ not  _ where he was supposed to be. 

Once he had everything set up and had triple checked nothing would break - because like hell could they afford to break down on this, they had to do this journey in one go - he had waved to Aranea that he was going to get Nisus-Noctis, then they could set off. 

A part of him was feeling a little confident that maybe they were going to pull this off after all.

That  _ was  _ until he stepped off the airship and realised Nisus-Noctis was not where Prompto had told him to stay. 

He did get it - they had been a while, and it was kind of boring in the base, and the guy had probably never seen an Imperial airbase before, but it was still risky and it left a weird sensation in Prompto's gut.

That was amplified when he caught sight of Nisus, and who he was talking to. The weird feeling very quickly turned into Prompto's stomach sinking.

Fuck, the  _ Chancellor _ . The one person Prompto really didn't want catching wind of this. 

Aranea was going to be so pissed. 

Prompto rushed over as casually as he could, grabbing the prince by the arm and flashing what he hoped was a charming smile. Maybe he could still salvage this.

"Chancellor Ardyn! What an...unexpected surprise! Uh, sorry to interrupt, sir, but I've been sent by Aranea to collect Nisus here, and, you know, I can't waste her time!" He laughed, but it came out high and shaky. No matter how hard he tried, Prompto always managed to make his unease clear around the Chancellor.

"Come on, let's get on board," He tugged on Nisus' arm, almost in a hurried whisper, before pulling him towards the airship. Prompto gave Ardyn a courteous half-bow before turning, still holding on to Nisus.

And here came the Commodore's favourite pet, the little MT she had decided to adopt in as her own. Ardyn didn't have time for him - Prompto was always uncomfortable enough to ensure Ardyn could get what he needed from him, and with the prince there, no one else really mattered at all.

Still, Ardyn did love a good chase. He would meet Prince Noctis on his own soil, when he could remember who he was. In the meantime, let them think they had won. 

"Indeed, the Commodore does always work at her own schedule, doesn't she?" He said to himself, before turning to leave himself when he noticed Noctis still looking at him, looking over his shoulder one last time.

"As for your question, young man, I am simply a man of no importance." He spoke, voice a low rumble in his throat that only he was privy to. In the curvature of his lips was a promise, and one he intended to keep. 

He left with that, already planning his next move. Wherever they went, he would always be one step ahead of them.

\---

As Prompto pulled him urgently onto the airship, he waited until he had been sufficently dragged by the arm into the control room to speak, looking at Prompto with no small amount of confusion and disbelief.

"What-...?" He started with, glancing over his shoulder and lowering his voice. When he looked back, his brow was furrowed and a tight frown took over his mouth. "What happened?" 

He recalled the sensation of the Chancellor's eyes as he paced a languid stride around him. Even now, he felt as if they were being watched. 

Mentally, Nisus cursed himself for the way his guard had lowered enough to have his hackles raised by his commandeering presence, enough to forget himself.

He should have recognised him. He should have guessed. Either way, he couldn't help the foreboding sense danger that became a very apparent reality now. 

His hand came up to press his palm against his forehead. "Shit, I think I just messed up."

Prompto wasn't exactly sure how to sugarcoat this - the Chancellor knowing what they were doing was the worst case scenario. There was no way he didn't know this was Prince Noctis. 

The Empire would soon find out, and it wasn't losing his home that bothered Prompto - Niflheim had no loyalty from him - but rather what was to come. The Emperor had an army that grew larger by the day. He had daemons and technology that was unrivalled by the rest of the world. 

Prompto had an airship, Aranea's fighting prowess, a gun and a determination to get this done. 

Maybe they could do it, if what he had heard about the magic of the Lucian royals was true, but Nisus remembered nothing. There was no way he would be able to use any magic he may have.

"Yeah it's-...look, it's not ideal, but it's not all on you, okay?" He placed a hand on Nisus' shoulder, giving what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "The Chancellor's a slimy creep at the best of times, he probably would have caught on eventually. We should have just stayed near the ship,"

Still, the storm was about to come. Prompto braced himself. 

"Come on, we should tell Nea about this. She'll be mad, but she should know."

As Prompto made to head onwards, Nisus caught his wrist. 

There, between his fingers, he could just about see the markings of black ink against Prompto's freckled skin, just peeking above his black gloves. 

"Hey," He began, blue eyes lifting to meet Prompto's purple ones. "I, uh..." 

They stayed like that for just a few more seconds, Nisus fumbling to word out what he wanted to say, but caught in Prompto's vision for a second, he felt exposed trying to. 

"Thanks," He said, finally, wanting it to sound as genuine as he felt it should be, releasing his grip on the blonde's wrist. 

Prompto turned to look at Nisus, head tilted slightly as he waited for the other to speak. He looked down for a brief moment to where Nisus' hand was; where part of his barcode had been exposed.

That was a long story and one he didn't want to get into right now, so he was internally thankful that Nisus didn't ask.

"Don't mention it. We're a team now, yeah?" He grinned, giving Nisus a friendly clap on the back.

No one had told Prompto the future king of Lucis would be pretty. It was part of what had made Prompto do a double take in the first place. 

But there was time to reflect on that later. Right now, they had to face the wrath of Aranea. 

With that, they headed to Aranea's small office-like compartment, the walls feeling far more suffocating around Nisus as they did. Though it was a small mercy to hear Prompto's comforting words, when he walked behind him, watching his back, he couldn't help but wonder if they were sincere. 

He hoped they were, but couldn't quite place why. 

Nisus shook his head of those thoughts, having to do so quickly as Aranea came into vision. 

Pissed would be an understatement for how she'd feel about this, and he braced himself mentally for the oncoming verbal onslaught.

When Prompto walked in, it was with a sheepish smile on his face, the one that told her almost immediately that something was up.

"Hey, Nea? Um...we have a little problem. Uh...the- Ardyn, he was at the base. He saw Nisus." He spat out, grimacing slightly at the end. "We may be having company."

Aranea, however, had known the moment Prompto walked in that they had done something. 

She had just assumed he had messed with something on the ship that Aranea would have to go fix. That, she could handle.

But now they were about to have Ardyn riding their asses, looking for the lost prince? Fuck, she'd left them alone for, what, ten minutes? 

"Tell me you're fucking with me, right now."

When Prompto said nothing and offered little more than a helpless shrug, Aranea pinched the bridge of her nose and swore under her breath. Gratuitously. 

Ardyn would know Prince Noctis a mile away. 

"So he's gonna come for us now? Fuck me, what did you do, make small talk with the guy?" She gave Nisus an unimpressed look before standing, heading for the cockpit where her trusted pilots waited. Aranea could count on one hand the number of people she truly trusted, and most of them were on board that airship.

"We need to step on it, now. Chances are he's gonna go for our landing port, so we have to beat him out to Tenebrae. He won't fight us up here; he knows I'm best in the skies. He'll want us when we're tired, and on the ground. 

She let the silence hang heavy between them, before pressing on. 

“Both of you, I want a constant watch going on. Any sign of any Imperial airships, you tell me right away. Got it?"

Nisus nodded, avoiding Aranea's piercing stare, having followed them where they led. It was the least he could do to be completely compliant - he'd essentially put them out of the frying pan and into the very apparent and dangerous fire. 

All for someone they thought he was. 

When he considered the eventual disappointment they'd feel, his chest clenched, and once again, he found himself looking to Prompto. 

The blonde never seemed to stand still completely. In the short time Nisus had known him, and that time was short indeed, he always seemed to bounce on the balls of his feet, fidgeting restlessly at every opportunity. 

He half wondered if it was nervousness borne of being in this situation in the first place, or if that was something he just...did. If that was part of what made Prompto, well, Prompto.

It occurred to him in one stark moment that these two were really willing to risk their necks for him. 

Another pang shot through his chest, running his fingers through his bangs and breathing out in one short exhale through his nose. This was getting far bigger than he'd ever prepared for, and he hadn't prepared at all. 

Eventually, his arms crossed over his chest and he glanced out of one of the panes of glass nearby. 

From here, there was a blanket of white where the clouds rested around them, seemingly immobile and untouched. The sky spanned in front of them endlessly, but it did nothing to settle how suffocated he suddenly felt. 

"I need...I need some air," He shook his head, trying hard but falling short in his endeavour to throw away that sensation as it crawled up his arms, making him feel like he was shrinking on the spot. "I'll keep a lookout." 

With that, he excused himself simply by pushing past them to exit.

"Hey, wait-" Prompto started, going forward to try and grab Nisus but Aranea pulled him back, shaking her head a little. 

So he gave Nisus a few minutes, while he finalised what they were actually going to do with Aranea and her team before she nodded to the door.

"Best make sure he hasn't thrown himself overboard, because I'm not stopping to get him."

That was all the cue Prompto needed. 

He wandered a little before he found Nisus slunk against a nearby wall, sitting there with one knee pulled up, his arms folded over it, and slowly sat down next to him. 

He looked forward as he heaved a sigh.

"Well, maybe it's not so bad, I mean we still have a head start, and the Fleurets still have some control over Tenebrae, so maybe it won't be so easy for them to get us there,"

At this point he turned, giving Nisus a small smile. 

It truly sucked that some people were allowed to wander around being all pretty and shit while Prompto had to be, well, himself.

Nisus didn't look up, though he felt the weight of Prompto's presence next to him as something steady, something grounding. For all he barely knew this guy, him being here was a little comforting.

"Maybe," He echoed, worrying his lower lip between his teeth.

"It'll be okay, dude, you'll see. No one can outsmart ‘Nea, not even creepy old Ardyn," Prompto then laughed a little, putting a hand on Nisus' shoulder. "Oh, man, I can't believe you were stuck on your own with him! He's such a weirdo!"

When Prompto placed his hand on his shoulder, jolting him straight back into being present, Nisus finally glanced up. From here, he could almost count the freckles dotted across the blonde's nose, and he couldn't help the small smile that began to show in light of the other man's laugh. 

"At least I don't have to deal with him regularly, like most MTs and higher ups. I almost feel sorry for Aranea," He made a show of grimacing. "He did seem weird, right?" 

The entirety of the guilt of their expectations as they fell on Nisus' shoulders abruptly felt, well, lighter. Not gone, but easier as he watched Prompto grin at him. 

In that moment, he made a silent promise to himself that he wouldn't allow them to get hurt for him, hurt at all - maybe, somehow, they could make it to Lucis in the end, and Nisus would make sure they never had to fall on their swords for him. 

He paused, considering him from beneath long lashes, through the bangs of his hair, before looking down to his hands as his knees were pulled upwards, towards his chest. 

"I've...I've never had a friend, y'know. Not one I can remember," He let out a small, dry laugh. "Not a real friend," 

Nisus hesitated, fingers fidgeting against each other. Finally, he looked up again, outwards towards the opposite wall, breathing out. 

"Maybe after all of this, we could...be friends,"

Prompto laughed, glad to see Nisus lightening up a bit. Did he still call the guy Nisus, or should he get used to Noctis now? Prompto wasn't sure. 

Best not to get on that while he was still down.

"Yeah, she really hates him too. ‘Nea says the only reason she and Ravus actually started talking was because they were bitching about Ardyn. I just try and avoid him as much as I can,"

For good reason - Ardyn just had an uncomfortable presence. He always made cryptic little comments about how easy it would be for Prompto to get taken back to the lab. If he didn't have to be around the Chancellor, he wouldn't.

But his face softened as Nisus talked. Prompto knew a thing or two about being lonely, it just sucked that Nisus was alone as well as not having his memories. That must have been hard for him.

"Hey, who says we have to wait until then? Here," He held out his pinky finger to Nisus, a friendly smile on his face. "Why don't we start being friends now?"

Nisus paused - really paused this time. It was a visible moment where he looked between Prompto's lilac eyes and his hand, mouth opening and closing. He was almost bewildered. Just for a second. 

Even with his currently divided mind, he knew he'd remember this. 

He'd remember Prompto's warm and genuine smile, and the way he offered it earnestly alongside his pinky finger. He'd remember how he smiled himself, smaller but no longer uncertain as he took Prompto's finger with his. 

"Sure," He laughed; a sound that came from high in his throat. "Friends, from now on. No backsies." 

And when Nisus leant back, the smile remained the same, and his chest swelled with a spider-web of warmth. 

Friends. That, well, he could more than live with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHH thank you guys for reading this so far! I hope it's as enjoyable for y'all as it is for us to write it, because we're having a blast! It's so good to be back into FFXV! :D 
> 
> Thank you if you've left kudos, or given us feedback! We love the FFXV fans and again, writing this is so much fun and a great AU to explore for us! 
> 
> Hope you're all doing okay in the trying times of 2020!

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe this started off as a joke AU and then we world built it to death and planned out a couple of things and then roleplayed about thirteen pages of it for a chapter one in two days, so I hope you guys are enjoying/have enjoyed so far, our weird little brain child LOL
> 
> Shoutout again to my writing partner who never ceases to amaze me with her characterisation, writing and also the character she's been writing for the next chapter! 
> 
> Thanks guys! ~~ :3c


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